All I ever wanted
by koneko-kitty-chan
Summary: Derek just wants to see her happy. But on her wedding day, even he can't fake a smile for that. DASEY.


_**I have no idea what brought this on. One minute, I'm at the sink doing dishes, the next I'm online, typing up a story. It was just kinda a muse that I wanted to get rid of. I haven't read it over or anything... So I hope it's satisfactory. I also hate the ending.. too sappy.**__All I ever wanted, was to see you smiling_

* * *

Casey stood behind the large wooden doors, Dennis's arm locked with hers. She took a deep breath again, trying to shake her nerves. Marti gave her one last smile, then strode up the isle, throwing white and red rose petals along the path.

Dennis gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Case. This is your perfect day, exactly how you always wanted. There's no reason to be nervous."

Casey smiled back, but her over-worked mind couldn't help but over-think her father's words. There was no reason to be nervous, so why was she standing here, her muscles sore from trying to keep herself from shaking, her knuckles white, griping her bouquet. Casey McDonald does not get nervous unless there's a reason.

She thought back to graduation. That was suppose to be the (second) happiest day of her life. And yet, she, the valedictorian, the keener of her school, was so scared she couldn't even write a speech to her peers. And there was, of course, a reason for that. She later found out she was scared of the real world, and that's why she was so nervous at the time.

So, Casey McDonald, being herself, had to have a reason to be nervous to marry the guy of her dreams. Tall, dark, handsome. Intelligent. Always there for her. Always… perfect.

And he was perfect. She had met him within her first month of university, and they hit it off right away. That was four years ago, now making her twenty-three years old. They had started out as friends, but after a year, he asked her out and she said yes. There really wasn't any reason not to.

Her mother had told her she could always wait, that all because they had been together for so long didn't mean Casey had to marry the guy. But Casey insisted, as soon as her proposed, that they marry within the next six months.

"Case… Casey, the music started." Her dad whispered.

She shook her thoughts out of her head and put on the biggest smile she could. The big wooden doors opened and everyone turned to her.

She took a long, slow step and glanced around the church. Everyone was smiling to her, and she greeted them back with her own smile. Her cheeks already felt tired, like she was forcing the smile to stay. She looked at her husband-to-be, and he returned his smile. His eyes screaming how gorgeous she looked.

She took another long stride, and saw _him_. She couldn't believe he was actually here. She hadn't seen him for… for… well, for six months.

_He_ finally turned around and looked at her, and she watched his eyes go wide with amazement, then soften.

"_brother."_

"_Step-brother."_

"_Same difference, right?"_

She felt a tug on her arm, and realized her perfect little smile had dropped. She closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them, smiling again towards her perfect new husband.

"Who giveth thee?"

"I do," her father replied. He turned, kissed her cheek, then took his seat in the front row.

She carried herself up the alter, and stood before her perfect husband to be. He took her hand and stared into her eyes, and the priest began talking.

_It had been the second month of university when she got the call._

"_Hey space case…" He drawled out slowly, and she could practically hear the smirk through the phone._

"_What do you want now?"_

"_Can't a guy call his favourite—"_

"_Don't even say it!"_

"_Fine. I need help with an essay… Do you want to get a coffee with me and maybe… he-he-help… me?"_

"… _UGH! Fine. I'll meet you at sic o'clock, if you're late, I'll leave."_

"_Deal."_

And he had met her, she remembered. And when he went to the bathroom, the waitress had come over and said she must have meant a lot to him, because he has been standing out there for fifteen minutes before she arrived.

"I have a poem here, from the husband, that he has asked me to read…" The priest said.

_Ring, ring, ring._

_Dial tone._

_Ring, ring, ring._

"_WHAT! Do you want Casey?!"_

_Sniffle. "…"_

"… _Are you okay?"_

_Sniffle, sob._

"_Casey. I can't see you shake or nod your head through the phone, and I'm not physic."_

"_C-can y-you… c-c-c-c-..cc-c-ommee.." _

"… Keep yourself together, I'll be over in a minute."

And he had come over, he had spent the night with her. She had mumbled something about her latest boyfriend cheating on her, but he didn't ask anything about it. He spent the next few nights with her, watching movies and buying her ice cream.

When he asked why she didn't ask her (now soon-to-be husband) to come over, she said she preferred _his_ company. He didn't say anything more, but she knew that made him smile.

"… And that day, the sun began to shine." The priest finished the poem, and Casey smiled at her soon-to-be husband lovingly. Everyone in the church clapped. She felt guilty, she hadn't listened to anything but that last line. She was sure it was sweet though, he had majored in poetry and English.

_He found her that day. She was at a local lake, just a bit off campus. He sat beside her and she jumped at his arrival. She glanced at him, then back at the lake._

"_Yo, Princess. What's wrong?" He smirked down at her, and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him. They had been getting along so much better since they started here. It was now Spring, and the air was warming up. They soon had finals, and then they'd be heading home together for the summer._

_He had spent more than one night at her place. Whether he was trying to decided if he really liked the new girl he was seeing, or if she was just having her normal break down, he always ended up at her place, eating ice cream and watching her movies._

"… _Well.. Since you're not going to say anything, I have something to tell you." He grinned excitedly. But nervously. She didn't meet his eyes. She just looked down at the grass._

"_I know we've had our differences in the past, but we're getting along so good together now! Case! I think… I mean, I haven't felt this way since Sally.. but I think… Casey McDonald I!—"_

"_He asked me out, and I said yes." Casey looked up to him, to see his expression. It was empty. Stunned. He was hurt, and she knew it. She had hurt him._

"_You were telling me… the other night, remember? That if I liked someone, I should try and go out with him. Because you need to take risks. I said yes. Last night."_

_He was taken back. He looked so hurt. He closed his eyes for a long second, then smiled at her. "That's great, Casey. He's a great guy for you. So perfect. Just like you." He stood up, and offered her his hand. He drove her back to campus._

".. Take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health?" The Priest questioned.

"I do." He smiled at Casey.

She smiled back, then looked to the audience. He had that same pained look on his face. But this time, he wasn't trying to be happy for her.

_It was Christmas break. Casey brought home her new boyfriend. He already had been here before, on a couple other holiday's. Casey had big news. Two days ago, he asked her to marry him. She had agreed. She was telling her family tonight._

"_How's university going?" Her mother smiled at her, and her new little sister ran around the house. She couldn't believe the kid was already three years old. It seemed like just the other day, they were graduating. Now they had a new sibling, a shared sibling, between them. They were family now._

"_Great!" She finished setting the table, and everyone was called down to eat. The table was a bit cramped for them all, but they all fit. She sat across from him, just like she did in high school._

"_I actually have a little announcement to make, before we all eat." She didn't look at him, but she could tell he was loading up his plate with whatever was in reach of him._

"… _I'm getting married!" She squealed. Her mother and sister burst into smiles and cheers. Edwin and George congratulated her. Marti asked if that meant she was getting another brother._

_But he just stared, wide-eyed at her. They had spent the night together a week before, talking about what gifts they would buy the family. She helped him find gifts for the girls, and he helped her find gifts for the guys. They ended up crashing on her couch, entangled in one another, with their empty cocoa mugs on the table beside them._

_And now she was getting MARRIED?!_

_He looked at her with those same emotionless eyes. He gave the fakest smile he could muster, then excused himself from the table._

_She hadn't seen him again until Christmas day. They exchanged presents without a word. She had given him a necklace, with a pendant on it. He had given her a charm bracelet._

_They hadn't talked since. He didn't return her calls. When she told her mother to make sure he knew he was invited to the window, her mother said she had told him, but he never told her if he would go or not. She cried herself to sleep for over a week because of him._

She looked at him once more, seeing the necklace around his neck.

"And do you, Casey McDonald, take him as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worst?"

"… Case? Casey?" Her husband whispered to her, but she couldn't take her eyes off _him_.

"I.. no… ?" She stumbled out.

"Know? Casey.. that's not what you say.."

"No. I mean, no. I can't. I don't. I… I…" She rambled. She looked at him, once more. The most perfect guy for her.

He looked hurt. But she realized, as she looked in his eyes, it wasn't anything compared to how hurt _he_ had looked that night she announced she was getting married.

"I'm sorry…" She handed him his ring back and gave a grateful smile. "I think we rushed this. I think I rushed this. I just… I think I fell in love with you for the wrong reason. I'm sorry." She pulled up her dress, so her legs weren't confined anymore, and walked back down the isle, by herself, and outside.

She sighed at looked up to the sky. She heard the murmur of confusion from inside the church, but she just in-took so fresh air and smiled.

She traveled (rather clumbsily) across the road to a small park. She sat on the bench and sighed. "Good going, space case. Now you're all alone." She realized. "Now you don't have anyone…"

"I wouldn't say _anyone_. I'm pretty sure I'm a _someone_, and a rather important, sexy, and cool _someone_ at that."

She grinned at him, and shoved him playfully as he sat beside her. "You're not going to leave me?"

"Leave you? Why would I? I love you, princess." He grinned at her. "I'll always be there for you. Whether you need a friend or a… or a brother.."

"Step!-brother." She corrected him.

He smiled and put his arm around her. "Right. Step-brother." He put his hand under her chin and looked into her eyes, his infamous smirk once again gracing his features. "Or boyfriend." He kissed her cheek. "Whatever you need."

"I just need you… **Derek**."


End file.
